The Principal Research Core will be directed towards the primary CCCR goal of designing and conducting , developmerital pilot tests of riovel cliriical practices and service delivery models, iriformed by research firidings and' collaborative input from parents, youth arid providers, meant to help youth and families in inner city community contexts link to and actually erigage in child mental health services in order to inform larger ROI level studies. This Core will be co-directed by Drs. Mary McKav and Kimberiy Hoagwood. The proposed pilot research activities directty apply a collaborative process to the three challenge areas .' guiding the CCCR. Two studies are proposed which both focus on'the collaborative desigri, implemeritatiori arid examination of novel clinical practices which are meant to increase the engagement of highly vulnerable youth and their adult caregivers via creating a foundational collaborative structure that fosters alignment ofthe perspectives of inner-city youth, families and providers. Ongoing opportunities will be created for stakeholders to provide feedback on the novel service models as feedback from participarits is available arid,firidirigs'. emerge with the goal of enhancing retention and planning for larger effectiveness studies, if findings warrant. -,' The first study, STEP-UP: Eviderice-based, multi-level services for adolescerits with disruptive behavioural difficulties and school failure will be investigated by Drs. Mary McKay and Kimberiy Hoagwood (with the strong collaboration of Drs. Sue Marcus and Anil Chacko). It also directly address the third stated challenge area (e g. mmodels forthe development and testing of intensive, multi-level services specifically for .youth struggling with mental health difficulties and cornpounding social circumstances are needed which are.. based on both existing evidence and stakeholder input). Funding for the'clinical service delivery (only) of--' ' ' STEP-UP has been secured via dollars from the NYS OMH and the Robinhood Foundation. Thus, funding' -- from the CCCR will provide much rieeded research support to study the systematic, collaborative development,- refinement and pilot testing for this service iririovatiori. Next a second pilot study is proposed, Understanding Latino parerits' mental health literacy to enhance engagemerit iri child mental health services. This pilot study is beirig investigated by two new.researchers of color and will serve as ideal preparation for the riext generatiori to coriduct collaborative research studies which involves a multi-step approach based upon both qualitative formative research and quantitative examination with all steps overseen by a collaborative working group of researchers and key stakeholders. Iri sum, both ofthe proposed pilot studies aim to address the needs of inner-city youth and, families who are least likely to engage in appropriate child mental health services and who experience specific barriers to engagement in care. Each novel service delivery strategy is meant to rely ori both existirig eviderice-based' - iriterventioris, but which require adaptation to actually reach vulnerable youth or to be set in real worldurbari community, school or practice settings.